The Dutch Issue

01/11/2011 01:09 by Amsterdamize

Yesterday my buddy & part-time co-author Ãlvaro and I met up at the Workcycles Octoberfietsfeest party (now I actually said 'party' twice in a row, but ok). He had just returned from Glasgow and he handed me a gift: the KLM in-flight magazine 'Holland Herald' (as a purist I have to mention that 'Holland' doesn't exist, but history and habits are often cruel that way). Anyhow, the incentive for him to bring me that piece of Dutch promotion became crystal clear once he showed the front cover, titled 'The Dutch Issue': "Our cover this month is by renowned Dutch illustrator Piet Paris[my link insert]. The image refers to Dutch artist Piet Mondrian's blocks of colour, the national love of bicycles[isn't it 'love for bicycles'?]and the nation's relationship with the sea. His book Piet Paris: Fashion Illustrations is out now[another correction in this line]." But let me not harp on about the sloppy editing. What an illustration. Timeless, refined, iconic, gorgeous. I wish it was mine. The least I could do was share it with you lot. I quickly flipped through the magazine (still at the party) and Ronald Onderwater, creator of the infamous Onderwater family tandemtridemtandem bike (see photo below), was equally interested. And lo and behold, 2 pages later, we were reading the special about the Wadden Islands up north, called 'Isles of Plenty'. A big part of that 'plenty': bicycles, of course. Bike tourists, locals and...families getting around on rental bikes...tandemtridemtandem rental bikes...right, Ronald's bikes. Most of these islands are car-free or have tight restrictions and bikes are the main mode of transportation. At home I went through Piet Paris' portfolio some more and found one other bike illustration by his hand. Classy stuff. Art imitating life.